Tricky Shooting: Animal Photography through Glass and Wire

Amongst some of the photography skills I've been practising recently is taking images through glass or wire fences.  For this post I'm going to share some of the pictures I took whilst at Exmoor Zoo last week and use them as an excuse to share some tips with you.  I used my Canon 5D Mk2 and two lenses - a Canon 24-70mm and a Tamron 70-300mm.

When shooting through glass I have only found one approach that gives a high success rate.  If the subject is away from the window then I can press my lens flat up against the glass.  This is an easy way to get rid of the distracting reflections that can ruin many pictures.  The camera should be able to focus automatically but in a few cases you may have to flick the focus to manual and sort things out yourself.  If the subject is close to the window then you will need a camera with a macro setting (or use extension tubes to reduce the minimum focussing distance).

In order not to clutter up this blogpost I've put a list of all the camera settings I used at the end of this article.

The following shot was the first one I took on entering the zoo.  This monkey could clearly see me through the glass and I think it could see its own reflection in my lens.  I also tried to treat my animal subjects as if they were human.  This meant that I had to concentrate on getting the eyes in sharp focus and, where possible, capture the animal with catch-lights in the eyes.

Can anyone resist those eyes?

If the subject is behind a wire cage and is sitting close to the edge then it can be impossible to blur out the cage.  Faced with this situation I decided to make the cage part of the shot.  This baby monkey was nervously moving through an overhead cage 'tunnel' that liked two large enclosures.  I feel that by including the cage in the following shot, ensuring that the majority of the face was visible, I managed to create an image that forces an emotion from the viewer.

Sometimes you can use the cages for more emotion

If the subject is away from the wire cage then it is possible to almost completely remove the bars by using a shallow depth of field.  This forces the camera to keep only a thin area of the scene in focus.  As long as the area concerned contains your subject then the closest bars will often almost completely disappear.  This can be seen in the image below:

Bad hair day

Where possible you should try and position the camera lens close to the fence in order to enhance the blurring out effect.  If this isn't possible you can use the bars for creative effect.  I thought that this monkey looked a little crazy and I loved the orange eyes and so with a bit of me shuffling around to get the bars in the right place I took this shot:

Here are two examples taken through glass.  This meerkat was enjoying the heat from a lamp and so was well lit in the dark enclosure.  The light meant that my camera had enough contrast to focus and so it was relatively easy to get the shot.  For the second image I used the telephoto lens and concentrated on getting the eyes in focus and with a glint in them.  I'm not sure why I chose such an usual angle for the second shot, it just felt right :)

Sunbathing Meerkat

Simples.  (Sorry)

It took a great deal of attempts to get the final shot of each animal.  For the following two images I took a total of thirty images.  The difficulties I had were shooting at a long distance, through glass, in poor light with two subjects that just didn't want to look at the camera.  Patience in these scenarios is a virtue.

Caracal

Maned Wolf

You may have noticed in the Maned Wolf image there is a vertical blurry streak to the right of the frame.  This was a tall piece of grass that was close to the window but i didn't notice at the time of shooting.  When shooting I rarely check my images on the viewfinder other than for a quick look to ensure the settings are correct.  It means I can spend more time looking for the 'decisive moment' but does run the risk of errors like this.

Sometimes it is just not possible to get the perfect image in camera and I may have to tweak the image later. I use the excellent Lightroom 4 software for the majority of my quick fixes.  Below I've shown two images I took of 'The Beast of Exmoor'.  I was shooting through thick glass that was partially frosted.  The leopard was pacing around it's enclosure and I took a few minutes to work out where the best light was and the pattern of the animals routine.  I only managed to get one usable image of the animal.

The first is the image as it came out of the camera.  The second image shows what can be done with a few simple clicks.  I increased the contrast, darkened the blacks and adjusted the vibrancy and white balance.  It meant I was able to take an image that looks like it was taken through a steamy bathroom window and turn it into something acceptable.

Some of the most complicated shots I took were of the zoo's two cheetahs.  There is a viewing platform available but I wasn't happy with the 'shoot down' angle that this created.  It was impossible to make eye contact with the animals and so I moved around the enclosure.  One of the keepers came out to feed them and give a talk about the animals.  This proved a good distraction for the cheetahs and meant they stayed still for a while.  The downside was that my new location was behind two widely spaced layers of mesh fencing.  The camera could not auto-focus and so I had to focus manually.  Using the eyes of the large cats as aiming points I was able to blur out the fences - but look closely and you can see the pattern of the fence causing a visual disturbance in the images.

Drooling watching the other cheetah eat

And pouncing on the remains of lunch seconds later

And a final flurry of images for you to look at - all taken in difficult circumstances:

Golden Headed Tamarin

Abyssinian Hornbill

Emperor Tamarin

Howler Monkey

Professional Help

If you are still struggling with taking pictures of animals in the zoo it may be worth checking to see if the zoo can help.  At Exmoor Zoo you can hire the help of a pro with prices that start at £75.  It doesn't necessarily give you any more access than as a normal visitor but you may find it helpful to have someone point out opportunities that are being missed or settings that are wrong.  I haven't used this service so can't vouch for it but you can find details HERE if interested.

Settings

Where possible I used the camera in Program mode  - this allows the camera to pick what it thinks is the best setting but gives me creative control over speed and aperture with a simple click of a thumb wheel.  I set the camera to ISO 400 for the whole day.  This allows the camera to shoot faster and so reduce camera shake, important when using a zoom range at maximum length.

1.  Monkey Eyes   70mm  f3.5  1/125sec
2.  Baby Monkey  300mm  f5.6  1/160sec
3.  Bad Hair  300mm f7.1  1/500sec
4.  Eye Target  271mm f8.0  1/640sec
5.  Meerkat    81mm  f4.0  1/80sec
6.  Meerkat Portrait  259mm  f5.6  1/80sec
7.  Caracal    300mm  f6.3  1/400sec
8.  Maned Wolf  300mm  f5.6  1/320sec
9/10.  Leopard  84mm  f5.6  1/160sec
11/12.  Cheetahs  300mm  f5.6  1/250sec
13.  Golden Tamarin  209mm  f5.0  1/80sec
14. Hornbill  300mm  f5.6  1/250sec
15. Emperor Tamarin  190mm  f5.0  1/30sec
16. Howler  60mm  f2.8  1/60sec

Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2012

The results of this year's Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year have been announced and some of the winning entries released.  All images taken from the BBC News website and are copyright of the respective photographers.  Text from the official WPotY website, where many of the images are available to order as a print.  Here are my personal favourites from this year's crop of prize-wining and specially commended images.  If you want a larger view then just click on an image.

Bubble-jetting Emperors

Penguins, it's always penguins.  If you want to win something in a wildlife photography competition then you need to get yourself to the Antarctic with a waterproof camera and some thermal clothing!

OVERALL WINNER: This was the image Paul had been so hoping to get: a sunlit mass of emperor penguins charging upwards, leaving in their wake a crisscross of bubble trails. The location was near the emperor colony at the edge of the frozen area of the Ross Sea, Antarctica. It was into the only likely exit hole that he lowered himself. He then had to wait for the return of the penguins, crops full of icefish for their chicks. Paul locked his legs under the lip of the ice so he could remain motionless, breathing through a snorkel so as not to spook the penguins when they arrived. Then it came: a blast of birds from the depths. They were so fast that, with frozen fingers, framing and focus had to be instinctive. ‘It was a fantastic sight’, says Paul, ‘as hundreds launched themselves out of the water and onto the ice above me’ – a moment that I felt incredibly fortunate to witness and one I’ll never forget.

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV + 8-15mm f4 lens; 1/1000 sec at f7.1; ISO 500; Seacam housing.

Flight Paths

WINNER YOUNG WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER:  Harvest time at Owen’s grandparents’ farm draws in the birds of prey to feed on the fleeing small mammals, and it also attracts Owen, with his camera at the ready. ‘Seeing this red kite with an aeroplane in the distance was a moment I couldn't miss,’ says Owen. The shot is symbolic for him for two reasons. It was taken at the centre of the Bedfordshire site chosen for London’s third airport back in the late 1960s. ‘Opposition to the planned airport stopped it going ahead, which is why I can photograph the wildlife on the farm today.’ At the same time, British red kites also faced extinction following centuries of persecution. But following reintroductions, numbers have increased dramatically, spreading east from the Chilterns.

Nikon D90 + 300mm f4 lens + 1.4x teleconverter; 1/1000 sec at f5.6; ISO 500; Manfrotto monopod.

Secret Lives

It almost looks like a stuffed squirrel but the soft lighting in this image is brilliant.  The reflection of the squirrel in the mirror adds an extra dimension to the shot and I think the silhouette of its hands gives it more character.

WINNER URBAN WILDLIFE: Once, some 40 or so years ago, a family of 13 people lived in this cottage in Suomusjärvi, Salo, Finland. They have long gone, but though the building has fallen into disrepair, it is still a winter home to many woodland creatures, including this red squirrel, which lives in the attic. Kai has spent the past 15 years documenting the secret life of such places. ‘Deserted buildings are so full of contradictions,’ he says. ‘I am fascinated by the way nature reclaims spaces that were, essentially, only ever on loan to humans.’ 

Nikon D3S + 70-200mm f2.8 lens; 1/30 sec at f4; ISO 1800; hide

Warning Night Light

It's all in the eyes!  This great shot is full of menace and the low light and contrasting colours adds to the overall effect.

WINNER ANIMAL PORTRAIT: One evening, while walking along the riverbed of the Myakka River State Park in Sarasota, Florida, USA, one evening, Larry came across a group of alligators. It was the dry season, and they had been gorging on fish trapped in the pools left behind as the water receded from the river. One big alligator had clearly eaten its fill. ‘It wasn’t going anywhere in a hurry,’ says Larry. ‘So I set my tripod and camera up about seven metres in front of him and focused on his eyes.’ Just after sunset, Larry set his flash on the lowest setting to give just a tiny bit of light, enough to catch the eyeshine in the alligator’s eyes. Like cats, an alligator has a tapetum lucidum at the back of each eye – a structure that reflects light back into the photoreceptor cells to make the most of low light. The colour of eyeshine differs from species to species. In alligators, it glows red – one good way to locate alligators on a dark night. The greater the distance between its eyes, the longer the reptile, in this case, very long.

Nikon D2X + 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 lens; 8 sec at f8; ISO 200; SB-800 flash; Gitzo 3125 tripod; Manfrotto 468RC2 Ball Head.

Snatch and Grab

The overall winner in this category was some penguins leaping about in the air, a great shot but something I've seen a few times before in galleries etc.  This shot however is fantastic and is a great capture of the speed and drama of a Golden Eagle in action.  Run fox, run!

SPECIALLY COMMENDED BEHAVIOUR BIRDS: Stefan hiked for five kilometres in thick snow in the Sinite Kamani National Park in Bulgaria to reach a hide known to be a golden eagle hotspot. It was one of the coldest winters in recent years, and using a vehicle was out of the question. On the second day, he spent a long while watching a golden eagle eating a carcass. ‘I was able to get some great portrait shots,’ says Stefan, ‘but what happened next took me by surprise.’ A red fox sidled up and tried to snatch the meal, but the eagle was having none of it. ‘After a short, fierce spat, the fox fled with the eagle literally hard on its heels.’ A golden eagle can kill prey even bigger than a fox, but with a carcass to defend, the eagle was almost certainly just trying to scare the fox away rather than grab it.

Nikon D3 + 600mm f4 lens; 1/1000 sec at f5.6; ISO 400; Gitzo tripod; hide.

Practice Run 

The face of the baby gazelle says it all and I'm sure we'll all had days at work where we feel like it does :)

WINNER BEHAVIOUR/MAMMALS: When a female cheetah caught but didn’t kill a Thomson’s gazelle calf and waited for her cubs to join her, Grégoire guessed what was about to happen. He’d spent nearly a decade studying and photographing cheetahs in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, and he knew that the female’s behaviour meant one thing: a hunting lesson was due to begin. The female moved away, leaving the calf lying on the ground near her cubs. At first, the cubs took no notice of it. But when it struggled jerkily to its feet ‘the cubs’ natural predatory instincts were triggered,’ says Grégoire. ‘Each cub’s gaze locked on to the calf as it made a break for freedom.’ The lesson repeated itself several times, with the cubs ignoring the calf when it was on the ground and catching it whenever it tried to escape – ‘an exercise that affords the cubs the chance to practise chases in preparation for the time they’ll have to do so for real.’

Nikon D3 + 300mm f2.8 lens; 1/1250 sec at f2.8 (-0.7 e/v); ISO 400.

Hare in a Landscape

I couldn't finish a post without including a black and white image and so here is the winner of that category.  It is such a simple image but it is really eye catching.  It goes to show that you don't need to travel to far off lands or even get close to your subject to capture a winning image.  I does make me wonder just how few pixels you could devote to an animal to still call it a wildlife shot :)

WINNER NATURE IN BLACK AND WHITE: This steep, ploughed field, in Burgenland, Austria, with a ribbon of dazzling yellow oilseed rape on the horizon and a swathe of green to the side, was just what Robert was looking for. ‘But it lacked a focus point’, he says. As if on cue, a brown hare entered stage right from the grass and sat motionless on the furrowed soil. ‘But once I saw the image in black and white,’ says Robert, ‘not only was the stark geometry highlighted but also the small hare became the centre of the composition rather than being lost among the colour.’

Canon EOS-1D Mark III + 500mm f4 lens; 1/640 sec at f11; ISO 250.